Problems with 2008 Buick LaCrosse AIR BAGS

While driving the car completely shuts off and i've had close calls. i was driving on the highway and side street when this happened.

I noticed that the passenger side air bag light would toggle between on and off while driving. the buick dealer diagnostic and scan test revealed that the passenger side pressure sensor failed. cost of repair is $2,000.00 with no safety warranty options available to offset the cost. no obvious damage to pressure sensor or passenger side seat cushion containing the bladder and pressure sensor in the years of owning this car to warrant failure of pressure sensor. due to absence of reason for the failure of the passenger side pressure sensor, i am concerned about potential faulty safety systems on my vehicle. a failure pressure sensor in the passenger side could mean that in the event of a crash the airbag does not deploy properly even when there is a passenger sitting there. therefore, it is a safety risk and needs to be replaced, but since it has not been damaged during ownership i am led to suspect that it is a faulty pressure sensor.

Passenger presence system malfunction. diagnosed as a faulty mat/module in right front set cushion. very expensive to fix. when passenger is in right front seat air mag message on. malfunction. very common with this model vehicle. that's what the tech said at the dealership

The airbag warning light comes on intermittently. according to my online research this seems to be very common on the 2008 lacrosse.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to tallahassee ford lincoln (located at 243 n magnolia dr, tallahassee, fl 32301 850-878-4855), where the cause of the failure could not be determined. the dealer sent the contact to dale earnhardt jr. buick gmc cadillac (located at 1850 capital circle ne, tallahassee, fl 32308) where it was diagnosed with a defective air bag sensor. the contact stated that he took the diagnostic report back to tallahassee ford since the vehicle was recently purchased there and he wanted them to pay for the repairs. the contact was informed by the sales representative that they would not pay for the air bag sensor repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 79,000.

Red airbag warning light appears intermittently. dealer identified a problem with the sensor in the passenger seat and replaced the part. the same problem has since reappeared. the light will turn off when the passenger slides the seat back and forth or unfastens and refastens the seat belt. this problem can occur at any time and does not require the vehicle to be in motion nor the presence of a passenger. the problem is more likely to occur in warmer weather.

The airbag indicator warning light comes on intermittently while driving my 2008 buick lacrosse. this car has only 23,000 miles on it. the failure happens every time i drive my car with or without someone in the front passenger seat. this exposes the driver and passenger to danger as no airbag protection is afforded to them when the light is on. i brought the car to the dealer for diagnosis, they said a part may be needed that costs about $1,000 to replace. this needs to be recalled because it is a safety issue that many buicks have, and the replacement costs should be covered by general motors, not the customer. apparently, i am not the only one to experience this issue. here is a link to the carcomplaints.com website where many others have shared their experiences with this problem. http://www.carcomplaints.com/buick/lacrosse/2008/seat_belts_air_bags/air_bags.shtml thank you *tr

Red airbag light comes on and off while driving when passenger in front seat.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving various speeds, the air bag warning indicator intermittently illuminated. the contact called the dealer (sun buick located in wantagh, ny), but was unable to speak to a representative. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 34,438.

I had a 6 pack of beer sitting on my passenger seat and my "airbag" malfunction indicator light became illuminated. so i removed the 6 pack of beer from my seat however, the airbag light stayed illuminated. this happened after 5pm so i have yet to contact my dealer as their service closes at 5pm. the car was sitting in the parking lot when this occurred. i found from "googling" this issue that this is a common fault in 2008 buick lacrosse models.

The passenger airbag telltale intermittently illuminates while driving. the dealer has advised the airbag is disabled at the times the light is displayed. nhtsa reports from owners indicate that dealer part changes (control, weight sensor, etc.) have not been successful to correct the issue. with that in mind, it's apparent that a design issue must be at the root cause. this issue is just as dangerous if not worse than the ignition key issue because both disable the airbag. this issue unlike the ignition issue which causes the car to shut down can go unnoticed if the driver fails to see the indicator light. this exposes the passenger to a potential danger if involved in a crash at that time. disconnecting and reconnecting the seat belt and repositioning a passenger's weight eventually will turn off the light provided the light is detected and the passenger is advised. nhtsa should be more aggressive in correcting this dangerous issue. note: the date entered is today's date since the condition intermittantly continues to occur.

Passenger air bag light goes off & on even with passenger in seat.

2008 buick lacrosse - airbag light will come on near the speedometer while driving down the road. it will stay on for a couple minutes then shut off. there are 74,000 miles on the vehicle and i just bought it used from a buick dealership. i'm assuming the problem was there with previous owners as well since it happened for the first time as i was driving the car home after purchasing. this happens even if there isn't anyone in the passenger seat at all. i have read numerous complaints about this online as when that light is on the airbag will not deploy in an accident. there are many stories of modules and other things being replaced but it not fixing the problem. this is clearly a safety issue that concerns me.

Airbag sensor in passenger seat failed. that also effected the seat belt warning light. failure was intermittent and occurred with engine running car in motion.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the front passenger side air bag warning light illuminated with a passenger in the front seat. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger presence system module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 48,018.

Takata recall front passenger seat airbag would stay off whenever passenger is siting in seat with seat belt fastened.. there have been numerous complaints about this same issue nationally and it is a safety issue. i had to replace a pass presence module at a cost of over $900.00. i took out a 3 year warranty to cover all electrical issues when purchasing this car and surprisingly this module was not covered in the warranty. it is a safety issue and it should be covered...not only for buick vehicles but also for chevrolet, etc. needs to be recalled because many buicks' have this same problem and the replacement costs should be covered by general motors ...not the customer.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving approximately 45 mph, the driver and passenger side air bag lights illuminated continuously. the contact stated that the air bag light indicated the air bags were off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

Air bag warning indicator illuminates erratically. sometimes it is illuminated when starting the engine, sometimes it illuminates when the vehicle is moving down the road at various speeds (no real pattern). sometimes the warning light goes out while driving and other times it stays on until the car is parked and turned off. it seems to be related to warmer weather because the symptoms went away when it got cold in september 2015 and came back when it got warmer in june 2016

I bought this lovely car and thought i got a great deal-now i wonder what i was thinking!! the car drove home from the dealership beautifully, but after 5 days of owning it i was driving down a major highway at 70mph and the headlights shut off. i now have that problem any time i drive at night. the passenger air bag light goes off and on while the seat is occupied and last night i looked outside, only to discover that my headlights were on. nothing i did would make them stay off other than disconnecting the battery. the electrical on this car is obviously a nightmare and i will be looking in to trading this car as soon as possible :(

Once in a while when driving this car, the air bag light comes on . it stays on for a while than it will turn off. it has been also coming on when you start the car and staying on for a while than turning off also . i was told when the light comes on, the air bags don't work .could you look into this and let me know about this situation. ......updated 10/05/15*bf thank you

The air bag light in the car comes on when i'm driving. i checked with the dealer and they said if i pay $500 they can take care of the problem. i think this is a safety problem because the air bag will not deploy if i am in a accident.

The air bag indicator light on the dash keeps going on and off, indicating the air bags are off, then on. it doesn't matter if someone is in the passenger seat or not. when someone is in the passenger seat, more times than not it indicates the air bag is off

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front passenger side air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000. updated 7/16/15*cn

The description that follows is a safety issue which could result in the death or serious injury of a passenger in the front seat. the air bag indicator for the passenger front seat is continuously lit. the local buick dealership scanned and checked the air bag system, repaired connections and cleared the code. at present, nearly 8 months later, the air bag light is now continuously lit when driving the vehicle which indicates that there is no air bag protection for the passenger in the front seat. the dealership indicated that the cost to replace and program the passenger position module is $1540. this is a definite safety issue and should be subject to a recall. gm should not be manufacturing a vehicle in which, at 51097 miles, the air bag system does not function. i note a number of complaints regarding this particular safety issue.

While driving on a major road in florida, the airbag light came on, the instrument panel of my 2008 buick lacrosse. there was a passenger in the seat at the time & had their seat belt fastened. this occurs even if no one is sitting in the passenger seat. the airbag light will go on and off intermittently at any speed, even when sitting still at a light, whether there is a passenger in the seat or not. i believe this to be a major safety issue. *tr

The car's air bag light by the speedometer has been illuminating intermittently at various speeds whether there is a passenger in the passenger seat or not. the passenger seat air bag on/off light near glove compartment turns to off when the speedometer air bag light illuminates. in june, i took the car into an independent mechanic to get the problem fixed. unfortunately, the computer doesn't store a code for this problem. the mechanic tried to improve the connection to the passenger seat and "relearned" the computer; however, the problem still occurs. mechanic said it "might" be a $1,000 fix which involves part of the passenger seat cushion itself! it cost me $100 to find out this much and attempt a correction, but $1,000 is ridiculous; especially for a "maybe" fix. i see others are having this problem, too. i've already had the ignition switch key fix at the dealership. i also already had the problem with the headlights turning off as we were driving down the road; our independent mechanic fixed that and i'm still waiting for the gm reimbursement on that. hoping we can get gm to fix this air bag problem before it causes injuries.

Seat belt module failure, intermittent. occurs either while driving or upon start-up. air bags are inoperable when indicator light is on. not related to any known incident. this vehicle has only 60,00 miles on it. problem appeared at about 50,000 miles.

While driving the air bag symbol came on the dash. stayed on for a bit and went off. every once in a while would come on and then go off after a bit. it done that several times on this trip. it has done it some since also / *tr

2008 buick lacrosse. air bag light comes on constantly and has been coming on since the vehicle was purchased. *ta

While driving at highway speed approx. 55mph the orange passenger side air bag light illuminates and says the air bag is disabled. it will fluctuate between being disabled and not being disabled. the red warning light in the instrument panel illuminates also. this only seems to happen when someone is sitting in the passenger side front seat. the individuals that are sitting in the front seat are all over 125lbs.when it has happened. it continues to occur. the passengers all have their seat belts on. *tr

Continuation of a previous complaint dated 10-10-14, air bag light on dashboard randomly comes on and goes off. the other day i had a passenger, and i was interested in what the air bag dashboard light, and the passenger "protection" light above the radio, would do. my passenger got in and buckled up. at first everything was fine, no air bag dashboard light, passenger protection light "on", but then it started. the air bag light would come on, and i noticed the passenger "protection" light would display "off". the air bags would not deploy in the event of a front end collision. a moment later, the air bag light on the dash disappeared and my passenger "protection" went "on". we were protected, for the moment. problem is, the game went on the whole trip, "on", then "off", "on", then "off", each time the dashboard light and passenger "protection" light working in tandem. guess to protect my passenger they will have to sit in the back seat. i understand people have taken lacrosses to the dealer and have been told it costs $1200 to fix problem. sounds like the bean counters are hard at work figuring out if it will be cheaper to fix the problem or settle the lawsuits, in which there claim will be the automobile is safe, and quoting comedian [xxx], "safe enough to get you all the way to the grave." information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Module under right front seat defective causing air to turn off while driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving various speeds, the front passenger air bag sensor warning indicator illuminated although the seat was occupied. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 53,291.

2008 buick lacrosse. consumer writes in regards to dash panel airbag light issues. *smd the consumer stated the air bag light would blink on and off, while driving. a diagnostic check, revealed nothing wrong. *jb updated 09/09/14

Air bag sensor malfunctions for both driver and passenger. sometimes it works normally, sometimes it fails for passenger or driver or both. occasionally it will function normally after driving about 15 minutes. this issue dates back to november 1, 2007. *tr

Engine light comes on and car goes real slow, then it wont move. doors wont lock/unlock with remote and they wont automatically lock/unlock in park or when you start driving. air bag light for passenger side comes on and off, when someone is sitting there. back tires wore off on insides had to replace them. i don't feel safe anymore. dealer said i should be notified of recalls so it can get my buick repaired. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate over 10 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. in addition, the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 31,000.

Passenger air bag light on the dashboard turned from "on" to "off" with 150 pound passenger seated in the front passenger seat. the red warning indicator light on instrument panel also came on. it stayed on for 2 or 3 miles then the dashboard light turned back to "on" and the red warning indicator light turned off. it occurs intermittently on most trips, "on" then "off" then back to "on". typically, the dashboard indicator light will stay in the "off" position for 4 or 5 miles. now at 81,737 miles the air bag dashboard indicator light "on/off" still occurs. the first occurrence occurred while car was still in the 12 month gm certified warranty period. the condition was reported to dealership, they did not confirm by their static check procedure. it still occurs, intermittently, after 10,000 from first observance.

Our 2008 lacrosse has had a problem with the passenger side air bag for a long time. the light would always stay off. about a year age we had it checked out by a dealer. they said it had a short in the system and would cost $1000 to fix. after they troubleshoot the system, the light started to work properly. however, recently it has become erratic, some times showing it off for a period of time then going to on. as this is apparently the most common problem with this model, is there an investigation ongoing. we believe that there should be a recall on this model. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that while having repairs performed for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system), the technician notified the contact that the air bag light was sporadically illuminating. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage of the vehicle was 140,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated sporadically. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, but the failure recurred. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger side air bag module failed. the vehicle was repaired and the front passenger side air bag module was replaced. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 58,000. updated 05/03/16*lj the consumer stated the vehicle should have been included in a recall. updated 11/29/2017*js

Passenger air bag off indicator light comes on at times when seat occupied. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the air bag indicator illuminated intermittently while driving. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 20,000.

While driving through columbus,ohio on november 13, 2013, the car slowed down when i was driving at about 30 mph to stop. the motor stopped and was able to pull into a muffler repair and the told me about a dealership a short distance away and was able to limp to the dealership. the dealership is located in worthington, ohio. after a multi-point inspection, i was told that a faulty accelerator pedal position sensor was replaced at a cost of $102..61 plus labor of $384.00 and shop charges of $15.00 and tax of $35.11 for a total of $536.72. there is another problem of the airbag light going on and off while no one is in the passenger seat and when a person is seated and buckled up according to the law.... *tr

A few days after purchasing a 2008 buick lacrosse from the local dealer, the dashboard air bag light came on. didn't think much about it until it happened several more times, so i headed to the dealership for help. they instructed me not to put anything in the front passenger seat because the car would sense the weight and think there is a person there. so i didn't, but i did notice the indicator above the radio that senses a person in the passenger seat didn't turn red during this time. then the game began. i would put my lunch box in the seat on the way to work, sometimes the air bag light would come on, sometimes it wouldn't. and, i found there is a delay in the switch, when adding or removing the lunch box. sometimes after removing the lunch box the air bag light would stay on, or just come on when it wanted to. found out how to fix that problem also, albeit temporarily. take your fingers and firmly push 4-5 times along the stitching in the center of the seat. will take a few seconds and the light may, or may not, go out. or, a quick stop to grab a drink will reset the light. the problem is, from what i understand, if you get in a crash while the light is on there is a pretty good chance your airbags will not deploy. as a matter of fact, i owned a 1994 ford aerostar van which i took to the dealer when the air bag light came on. they would not let me drive the van, for fear the air bags would not work in a crash, and gave me a loaner while they fixed the problem. i did notice buick has service bulletins on the air bag problem, stating "problem could be caused by loose, missing, or broken connector position assurance (cpa) retainer. " (sb-08-09-41-002c) can't imagine what would be the hold-up in fixing the problem, just hoping i am not the first statistic. *tr

I have had two issues involving the need to replace what i understand to be the passenger presence airbag sensor. this item consists of a complete assembly, the actual seat passenger sensor/scale assemble and the associated computer. at about 18,500 while driving, the passenger air bag light would come on and then go off. there was a passenger setting on the seat in excess of 125 pounds wearing a seat belt. after several complaints and tests ,at 24,008 miles the buick dealer replaced an item listed on the work order as the inflatable restraint passenger seat suppression module 19124100 module kit. at about 42,600 miles a similar problem developed in that the airbag readiness icon light, on the instrument panel came on, indicating a complete airbag system malfunction. i soon discovered that pounding on the seat would make the light go out until another malfunction occurred, usually when the passenger got out of the car. again after repeated complaints and tests at 46,713 miles the buick dealer installed an item listed on the work order as the a pps module 19258127 remanufactured module kit. by whatever name this the second time a complete passenger presence airbag sensor assembly had to be replaced in the passenger seat. i consider this to be a safety issue. in the first instance when the malfunction occurred there was no air bad protection for the passenger. in the latter case there was a complete airbag system failure. the first replacement was covered under warrantee but the second replacement i had to pay for myself. internet searches have disclosed that there are other 2008 buick lacrosse owners with similar complaints about the airbag module failure and cost of replacement. if buick uses parts subject to repeated failure their replacement should be paid for by buick.

Airbag readiness light on instrument panel came on which indicates the airbag's electrical system is malfunctioning. took auto to gm dealer (chevrolet) and was told that the passenger system module needs to be replaced and cost would be $1,000. lacrosse is 2008 model year with only 48,600 miles. over the last year, the airbag readiness light would come on periodically but would go off after auto was restarted. noted on the internet that some other 2008 lacrosse owners have had similar complaints about the airbag module and cost of replacement. believe this is a defective part that should be replaced by gm without charge. i have had cars with airbags for over 20 years without any type of issue such as this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the front passenger side air bag off warning indicator illuminated while the seat was being occupied. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000.

The passenger side airbag sensor fails repeatedly (airbag warning light comes on and passenger airbag indicator switches to off) when an adult is sitting in the passenger seat and seat belt is secured. it began happening on rare occasions, but has progressed to every time i have a passenger in the vehicle. it usually persists for about 20 miles or so, and then reverts back to normal. the dealer investigated and said the replacement part was well over $1,000 and that did not include the labor. it seems this is a fairly common issue with this make of vehicle, and with the exorbitant cost of a replacement part, gm need to make some accommodations for the owners of affected vehicles to have the repairs done at a reasonable cost. *tr